Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Riding Single File?

One of the most common questions I get is whether cyclists have to ride single file. Here is the law:

State Law: 66-3-705. Riding on roadways and bicycle paths.

A. Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable, exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction.

B. Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.

county code 38:545

(c) Persons riding bicycles upon a street shall not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of streets set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles. Persons riding two abreast shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.

Normal and reasonable movement of traffic is one of those things that gets hard to define. I'd challenge a judge to tell me I was impeding traffic if I was riding two-up at or above the legal, posted speed limit or at the same speed as a line of cars in the Conoco Hill construction zone. But other than that, I'd not play the wise guy.

The punch line is that a lot of NM-4 is posted single file, due to narrow pavement, lack of shoulders, and curves. So the guy beeping at you might have a legal point.